Machine for brushing sole-leather.



G. RUHE.

MACHINE FOR BRUSHING SOLE LEATHER. APPLICATION FILED APILIS, 1914.

1 1 1 2, 1 63, Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D c.

C. RUHE.

MACHINE FOR BRUSHING SOLE LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 1914.

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TO-LITHOY. WASHINGTON. n c.

G. RUHE.

MACHINE FOR BRUSHING SOLE LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13,1914.

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MACHINE FOR BRUSHIN'G SOLE-LEATHER.

Specification of Letters iatent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Application filed April 13, 1914. Serial No. 831,522.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CARLETON RUHE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olean, in the county of Gattaraugus and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Brushing Sole-Leather, of which the folupon the sole leather or .the like passing longitudinally of the same, to hold the leather in engagement with the rotatable brushes.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the sole leather or the like is fed longitudinally of the bed or platesupport by certain of the brushes, which also cooperates with another brush or brushesto thoroughly brush or treat the leather.

A further object of the invention is to pro-- vide means of the above mentioned character, which is simple in construction, lnexpensive to manufacture, convenient in use, strong and durable.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional View through the same, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the machine, and, Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal sectional view throughone of the r0- tatable brushes.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates a main relatively stationary outer frame or support, embodying upstanding posts 11, connected by longitudinally and transverse horizontal beams 12 and 13, rigidly secured thereto, in any suitable manner. This main outer frame may be braced or otherwise strengthened by means of tie rods 14, preferably extending through tubes or pipes 15, as shown. The main outer frame may be made in various ways, it being suffiment that a suitably strong and rigid structure is provided.

The posts 11 in one transverse pair thereof (see more particularly Fig. 3), are provided upon their inner sides and near thelr upper endswith vertical openings 16, receiving the outer ends of a transverse horizontal vertically adjustable supporting member or beam 17. Longitudinally extensible means 18 are provided to positively raise and lower this vertically movable member-or beam, the same being preferably in the embodiment of jacks, each of which includes a tubular portion 19, rigidly mounted upon the adjacent transverse beam 13 and secured thereto by bolts 20 or the like. Eachjack further comprises a screw-threaded rotatable standard 21, operating within and having screwthreaded engagement with the tubular portion 19, the same having a head 22 swiveled upon the upper end thereof, such head being rigidly secured to the vertically movable member or beam 16 .by means of bolts 23.

The standards 21 are turned by levers or rods 21, passing throughtransverse open ings formed therethrough.

Arranged suitably near and in advance of the longitudinally extensible means 18, is

longitudinal extensible means 24, embodying an internally screw-threaded tubular por-' tion 25, the lower end of which is rigidly mounted upon a transverse beam 26, ar-

ranged between and secured to the longitudinal beams 12, and attached thereto by means of bolts 27 or the like, as shown.

This longitudinally extensible means further comprises a screw-threaded standard 28, extending into the screw-threaded tubular body portion 24, such standard having a swiveled head 29 secured to the upper end thereof. This swiveled head 29 is secured to a transverse support or bolster 80 (see also Fig. 4), by means of bolts 31'. It is obvious that the support orbolster 30 may be raised and lowered by rotating the standard 28, which is effected by the means of a transverse lever or rod 28,.passing through a transverse aperture thereof.

The numeral 32 designates a flat bed or plate-support preferably formed of ashwood, of suitable thickness, although other material may be advantageously employed. This bed or plate-support is covered with a section of sheet metal 33 secured thereto by bolts 34 or the like, for providing suit ably smooth surface to engage the leather. This bed or plate-support is sultably stiff and resilient. As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, one end of this bed or plate-support is mounted upon the vertically movable support or beam 17 and is secured thereto by means of bolts 35 or the like,

ranged below the sheet metal covering 33, as

shown. It is thus seen that the bed or platesupport 32 may be'raised and lowered, by.

proper manipulation of the longitudinally extensible meansv l8 and 24, whereby the same will move the sole leather or the like into proper engagement, with rotatable brushes,as will be more fully explained.

Arranged near and'above the other transverse beam 13 are bearings 37 .(see F 1g. 4), rigidly secured to the adjacent "posts 11 by means of bolts 38 or the like. Journaled within thesebrackets or bearings is a llOIlzontal rock-shaft 39, to which isrigi'dly connected a manually operated lever 40, to turn the same. This lever is provided with the usual latch means '41 to engage with a stationary ratchet-teeth quadrant 42, to lock the lever against upward swinging movement, v flexible elements, preferably chains 43,

which are in turn connected with the free end of the-bed or plate-support 32 by ad- I .justable means, preferably in the embodiment of turn-buckles 44, as more clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4. Thefunction of this lever and associated elements isto swing the bed or plate-support '32 downwardly, to move the same entirely out of engagement with the rotatable brushes, as will be -more fully explained.

v Mounted upon the upper longitudinal beams 1.2,211'6 support-beams '45., rigidly secured to the beams 12. by any suitable -means. Upon these support-beams are mounted bearings 46, through which are journaled transverse rotatable shafts 47 extending above the bed or plate-support '32, asshow-n. These shafts 47, which are preferably three in number, are equ'idistantly spaced, as shown. The intermediate shaft 47 is the 'drivingshaft, and has a pulley 148 rigidly mounted'upon one end thereof, to receive rotation from any suitable source of "power. In the operation of the machine, this shaft is preferably driven at a speed of one thousand revolutions a minute. Rig-idly -mounted upon the opposite end portions of the intermediate shaft 47and. inwardly of thebear'ing 46 are smaller.. aul-% leys 49, engaged by belts 50, extending in' (see also Fig. 1). The vertically movable member or bolster 30 engages the lower surface of the Connected with the shaft 39 are opposite directions to engage larger pulleys 51, which are rigidly mounted upon the outer transverse shafts 47. The outer transverse shafts 4? are geared to the inner transverse shaft 47 to be rotated thereby at onehalf speed with respect thereto.

lvlounted upon each of the shafts 47, for rotation therewith, are cylindrical brushes, designated as a whole by the numeral 52, (see more particularly Fig. 5). Each of these brushes is formed of a plurality of brush wheels 53, preferably twenty in number, each brush wheel being preferably two inches wide and fourteen inches in diameter, altliouglitliese dimensions may be widely varied. The brush wheels carry upon their peripheries brush portions 54, as shown. The brush wheels are centrally aperturcd, as shown at 55, for receiving the shaft 47, the outermost brush wheel at one end engaginga stop-collar 56, rigidly secured to "the shaft by any suitable means. The outermost brush wheel at the opposite end is engaged by a clamping nut 57 mounted upon a screw-threaded portion 58 of the shaft 47. It is obvious that stop-collar 56 and the clamping nut 57 will serve to lock or clamp the brush wheels to the shaft 47 for rotation therewith. The operation of the machine is as follows: The intermediate brush '52 is preferably driven in the direction indicated by the arrow at approximately onelthousand revolutions per minute, more or less, while the outer brushes 52 are rotated in the same direction at approximately one half of such speed, namely five hundred revolutions per minute, more or less. The tvo outer brushes act as feed-rolls, thus prohibiting the leather or the like from being fed too rapidly by the inner brush, and at the same time serving to brush the leather. These outer brushes when rotating, as above stated, cause the leather to travel longitudinally suliiciently rapidly so that its upper surface will not burnish. As the leather travels longitudinally upon the bed'or -platesupport, which is suitably stiff and resilient, in engagement with the rotat- --ing brushes, such bed will automatically yield or move slightly in a vertical plane, up or down, to allow of the proper passage of the leather under and in engagement with the rotating brushes, and to compensafe for all irregularities in the thickness of the leather.

The pressure that the rotating brushes exe'rt upon the leather when pasing therebeneath, may be regulated by adjusting the extensible means 19 or the extensible means 24 or both, the chains or flexible elements 43 being rendered slack to permit of the proper yielding of the bed in opposite directions. To entirely remove the pressure between thebri'ishes and leather, the lever 40 is swung downwardly, turning rock-shaft 39, which in turn draws the flexible ele ments 4C3 downwardly. These flexible ele ments move the free end of thebed or platesupport 32 downwardly, the same bending longitudinally, by virtue of the fact that its opposite end is held stationary and the same is constructed suitably resilient, as'before stated. From the foregoing, it is obvious that I have provided a suitably resilient or yielding bed or plate-support, which is selfadjusting within limits during the operation of the machine, and which may be manually adjusted to change the pressure between the brushes and leather, and moved away from the brushes sufiiciently to entirely relieve the pressure between the brushes and the leather or to move the leather entirely out of engagement with the brushes. The bed may also be bent longitudinally, by setting the holding means at the opposite end thereof, and extending the means 2%, which is found advantageous under some circumstances.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes'in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a machine of the character described, a supporting structure, a bed con nected therewithand adapted to receive leather upon the same to move longitudinally thereof, an intermediate rotatable brush arranged above and near the bed to engage with the leather supported thereby, outer rotatable brushes arranged above and near the bed to engage with the leather supported thereby and spaced from the inter mediate brush, and means to rotate all of the brushes in the same direction and the intermediate brush at a greater rate ofspeed than the outer brushes.

2. In a machine of the character described, a supporting structure, a vertically yielding bed connected therewith and adapted to receive leather thereon to move longitudinally thereof, an intermediate rotatable brush arranged above and near the bed to engage with the leather supported thereby, outer rotatable brushes arranged above and near the bed to engage with the leather supported thereby, means to rotate the intermediate brush, and speed reducing gearing between the intermediate brush and the outer brushes to drive the outer brushes in the same direction with the intermediate brush and at a lessrate of speed.

3. In a machine of the character described, a supporting structure, a resilient bed arranged near the supporting structure, means connecting one end portion of the resilient bed with'the supporting structure, so

that the opposite end portion thereof is free e to be swung in a vertlcal plane, a roll connected with the supporting structure and arranged near and below the vertically movable end portion of the resilient bed, a flexible element connected with the vertically movable end portion of the resilient bed and with the roll to be wound thereon, means to turn the roll and hold the same in a desired position against movement, a rotatable brush arranged near and above the resilient bed to engage with material traveling thereon, and means to rotate the brush.

4. In a machine of the character described, a supporting structure, a resilient bed arranged near the same, vertically adjustable means connecting one end of the bed with the corresponding end of the supporting structure, a second vertically adjustable means arranged near and spaced a sub stantial distance from the first named vertically adjustable means, and connecting the bed and the supporting structure, a drum connected with the supporting structure, and arranged near and below the opposite end of the resilient bed, a flexible element connected with this end of the resilient bed, and with the drum to be wound upon the drum, means to turn the drum and hold the same in a desired position, arotatable drum arranged near andabove the resilient bed to engage material traveling thereon, and means to rotate the brush.

5. In a machine of the character described, a resilient bed adapted to be approximately horizontally arranged vertically, adjustable means connected with the opposite ends of the resilient bed to hold the same against upward movement, adjustable means engaging the resilient bed between its endsto move the" same upwardly and positively hold that portion of the bed with which the same engages against vertical movement, a rotatable brush arranged above and near the resilient bed, and meansto drive the brush.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses;

GARLETON RUHE.

WVitnesses j S. M. GAYLOR, O A WOODLING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .D. G. j j 

